Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 47.7% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.
be 10.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malaysia, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.2% of people as of 2024.
live 10.8 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 85.5% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Republic of the Congo spends $209 as of 2023.
have 92.6% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Republic of the Congo has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 46.1% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Republic of the Congo scores 41 as of 2021.
be 18.8% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.
make 80.8% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $2,515 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 30.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Malaysia, approximately 26.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, 241.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.8% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Republic of the Congo, it is 80.6% as of 2021.
be 3.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In Malaysia, approximately 7.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 48.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Malaysia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 51.8% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, about 47.2% do as of 2024.
be 25.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Malaysia, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 73% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 16.7% less on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 96.4% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 169 km.
Safety
be 39.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.1% less strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 90.6% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.
use 93.3% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 83.9% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.